A caller service representative of the Pelephone Company, one of Israel’s cell phone carriers, used Facebook to express solidarity with a terrorist who perpetrated a stabbing attack in the capital, referring to the terrorist as a Shahid, one who martyrs oneself.

The Globes report explains the company received complaints from angry clients, leading to the decision to fire the employee after she refused to remove the Facebook posting.

According to the women’s explanation, she personally knew the slain terrorist and her posting was intended to express the loss of a friend and not siding with a terrorist.

A Pelephone official explained that the company employees people from all walks of Israeli life and company remains apolitical. However the woman expresses solidarity with a terrorist who perpetrated an attack and this contradicts acceptable norms of society. The company officials add she was only dismissed after she refused to remove the offensive posting.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)